Healthy in the City

by Rebekah Chan

Yoga: A Marriage of Physical and Spiritual Health Benefits

Although healthy eating is a big part of healthy living, it is not the only aspect that is important. A healthy lifestyle consists of harmony and well-being of the body, mind, and spirit. While living in Tokyo may foster strength of the body through healthy eating and exercise, it can be more challenging on the mind and spirit. For expats, living out of our comfort zone can often take a toll on our mental health, sometimes requiring a significant emotional and psychological adjustment. One of the most densely populated cities in the world frequently makes people feel both isolated and claustrophobic at the same time, especially those who don’t speak Japanese.

Leza Lowitz, a California native and owner of Sun and Moon Yoga studio, describes her own observations when first coming to Tokyo: “There are so many people in such a small space, with little nature and ‘breathing room,’ and the fast pace leads to even more stress. Culturally, too, there are more rules and regulations, so people feel even more ‘hemmed in.’” Determined to bring a California sense of relaxation to Tokyo, Leza began teaching yoga as a means to share this remedy to others.

Leza firmly believes that “through yoga, we can connect to the breath and the spirit. When we breathe deeply, we relax the nervous system and calm the mind. Yoga helps us move from ‘thinking mind’ to ‘feelings and sensations,’ and that is a more spacious, limitless way of being. Then we find our inner calm, and we bring together all the scattered parts of ourselves.” In a place like Tokyo it is essential to have a sense of ‘space,’ even if it’s just a way of thinking and feeling.

Yoga is a way of re-connecting with one’s self, which can be helpful when people don’t feel they are connected to much, including their environment. Leza explains that, “yoga is not just physical. It is also a spiritual practice of self-awareness, compassion, kindness, and interconnectedness. When we reunite with our essence, we realize that we are all the same. So we become kinder people, more aware, more generous. Yoga is an inner method and an outer method to transform yourself, to connect with your own highest self.”

Physical, mental and spiritual well-being are all essential for surviving in Tokyo, and although the city may not offer the luxuries of wide open spaces and a leisurely pace of life, it is still possible for each one of us to find our oasis and take the necessary steps to being healthy all around.

Raw Food: A Global Health Trend Comes to Tokyo

Andrea and Angela Wolfgang (also known as Andi and Angi), two raw vegan sisters from Pennsylvania, have recently ignited the vegan scene in Tokyo. The sisters have been studying raw food for about seven years, and recently opened a restaurant called Manna, serving only raw foods next to Yoyogi Park. I visited them there to find out more about this ‘radical’ diet that has Tokyoites talking.

Raw food has been portrayed by mainstream media as unappetizing and cold. I ignorantly expected the same when I went to speak to Andi and Angi, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there is much more to this lifestyle than meets the eye.

Raw foodists believe that eating an organic, uncooked, unheated, and unprocessed plant-based diet is the healthiest of all diets, but raw food does not necessarily consist only of uncooked vegetables. Andi explains in more detail: “raw and living foods are foods that contain enzymes. In general, the act of heating food over 116ºF or 41ºC destroys enzymes in food (enzymes start to degrade in temperatures as low as 106ºF). All cooked food is devoid of enzymes; furthermore, cooking food changes the molecular structure of the food and renders it toxic. Living and raw foods also have enormously higher nutrient values than foods that have been cooked.”

To my surprise, raw food recipes included dishes like pancakes, tortillas, and even lasagna, all cooked slowly at less than 116ºF to preserve all the nutrients and vitamins of the ingredients. The reason the raw food diet is popular in North America (and becoming popular in Tokyo) can be attributed to the vast health benefits people experience through this way of eating. When Andi and Angi first came to Tokyo three years ago, the vegan/raw food scene was virtually non-existent for expats. This was partly due to the fact that “veganism is a precursor to raw food in the Western world, but here in Tokyo veganism, and even vegetarianism, is still quite a rare thing.” However, as a result of their efforts in cooking classes, parties, and other events, the word is quickly spreading to expats in Tokyo about the benefits of this way of eating.

Benefits of the raw food diet:

Improved energy: Raw food is easier for the body to digest, meaning more energy is left over for other activities. Many people feel an sudden increase in physical energy after switching to a raw food diet.

Improved digestion: People no longer experience constipation because the body is fully hydrated from eating foods high in water content.

A healthy, natural weight: Initially when people start to eat raw food, they lose weight because the body is ridding itself of toxins. Once the body is fully detoxed, it will start to rebuild, and healthy new cells will be created. Digestion and assimilation of nutrients will improve, and the body will find a natural balance, even gaining weight if needed.

Clearer skin: The body pushes toxins out through the skin when it’s overloaded and can no longer eliminate toxins from the colon. If allowed to detox continually, the skin can be kept fresh and clean, without suffering from itchiness, cracking, acne, or blemishes.

The Japanese Diet: Healthy Eating Perfected Over Centuries

According to the World Health Organization’s most recent report, Japanese women are considered the longest living females in the world for the 24th year in a row. Their average life expectancy is estimated at 86 years old, while Japanese men are ranked fourth in the world, with an average life expectancy of 79 years. For years research has linked the longevity of the Japanese to their healthy diet. In recent years the Western world has taken note of this, and stars like Victoria Beckham are reported to follow the Japanese diet in order to stay slim and lose weight.

Compared to the typical North American diet, the traditional Japanese diet has about 25 percent fewer calories, consists of smaller portions, and contains less red meat and more vegetables. However it is not only about what the Japanese eat, but also how they eat. There is a saying in Japanese: hara hachi bunme, which instructs people to eat until they are 80 percent full. This prevents overeating and the consumption of unnecessary calories. Also, while a typical Japanese meal contains smaller portions, the individual dishes are served separately on small plates, thus encouraging diners to eat slower, allowing their brains time to register that they are full. Scientists from the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign report that people will eat the food they are served regardless of portion size, and can actually eat 45 percent more food when it is divided into larger servings.

Many expats or international travelers have probably used or heard the term ‘Japanese size’ as it relates to portions of food at restaurants. Even non-Japanese restaurants have smaller sizes that cater to the smaller appetite of the Japanese. For example a Big Mac at McDonalds in the US contains 560 calories, whereas the Japanese version has only 508 calories. Generally speaking, most restaurants in Tokyo serve ‘Japanese portions,’ and for those wanting to be healthy and stay slim, this is without a doubt a good thing.

Other healthy habits we can learn from the Japanese lifestyle include simple daily exercise, such as walking or biking to work or for errands. If you live in the city then you already know that taking the train requires more walking than driving. Furthermore, because the average Japanese home can be small with less elbow-room, people are more likely to get outside and enjoy the city on bike or foot.

Benefits of the Japanese diet:

Fish: Contains Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are great for hair and skin.

Soy: A great source of protein, zinc, iron, and fiber. Helps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and strengthen bones.

Seaweed: High in vitamins A, B and K, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. Seaweed also helps retain elasticity in the skin.

Green Tea: Contains powerful antioxidants which help to lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.